GA breweries and the laws that keep them down

Beer Trader

I have seen a few people mention the ABV limits. While I think it is completely ridiculous, does anyone really see that as a big issue? How many beers are made that are above 14% that we could possibly see distributed here? Like 10-15 maybe? All I can think of is a few from DFH, Utopias, and a few from Avery. Others that were above like the BrewDog stuff still ended up on the shelves by skirting around the law.

Maybe that was just an example on your part, but I thought I would bring that up. Seems like there are so many larger issues than having the ability to buy a few different brands. Now if you are just looking at the laws based on how stupid they are, I could see that being high on the list. Just my 2 cents.

ModeratorSubscriberBeer Trader

Stephanie Stuckey Benfield tried replacing the word wine with the word beer for years and said it was never that simple. If you look at the GA law books beer, wine and distilled alcohol all have separate sections "and near the twain shall meet." (Unless of course it helps the teetotalers ie homebrewing=distilling moonshine grumblegrumble) GA also has the bad habit of interrupting law in a "if it's not written to be legal than it must be illegal." Add in the fact that anything new needs to be taxed and determining how and who will be taking care of that brings everything to a stop. The DoR wants the money but who ever wants to add to their workload? Was it SweetWater that got a big tax bill on the beer drunk on the tours or special events?

The more you know the more frustrating it all is. This is one reason I thing GWCB getting behind 1 idea to work on at a time may be the best practice.

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Interesting.. They want the money, but want to be lazy, but should be pragmatic about it, which would be easier for everyone involved.

I have seen a few people mention the ABV limits. While I think it is completely ridiculous, does anyone really see that as a big issue? How many beers are made that are above 14% that we could possibly see distributed here? Like 10-15 maybe? All I can think of is a few from DFH, Utopias, and a few from Avery. Others that were above like the BrewDog stuff still ended up on the shelves by skirting around the law.

Maybe that was just an example on your part, but I thought I would bring that up. Seems like there are so many larger issues than having the ability to buy a few different brands. Now if you are just looking at the laws based on how stupid they are, I could see that being high on the list. Just my 2 cents.

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There may not be too many, but they're ones I'd definitely love to have:

I have seen a few people mention the ABV limits. While I think it is completely ridiculous, does anyone really see that as a big issue? How many beers are made that are above 14% that we could possibly see distributed here? Like 10-15 maybe? All I can think of is a few from DFH, Utopias, and a few from Avery. Others that were above like the BrewDog stuff still ended up on the shelves by skirting around the law.

Maybe that was just an example on your part, but I thought I would bring that up. Seems like there are so many larger issues than having the ability to buy a few different brands. Now if you are just looking at the laws based on how stupid they are, I could see that being high on the list. Just my 2 cents.

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Agreed. While ABV at 14% is stupid, that's not what is keeping breweries from setting up shop in GA. It's the "on premise" selling of their beer and the lack of self distribution that's keeping them out of GA imo.

Lets throw out some possible dates and get together at the pub. We can come up with a goal and roles for people who want to be involved. Not saying i know a lot about this but i am interested in being a part of it and i'm tall. Which is awesome!

Lets throw out some possible dates and get together at the pub. We can come up with a goal and roles for people who want to be involved. Not saying i know a lot about this but i am interested in being a part of it and i'm tall. Which is awesome!

I still plan on coming by the pub tomorrow , at least to get a beer.I suggest piggy backing this kind of organizing onto some other beer event ..... Maybe just prior to the event while people are still reasonably sober. At least that way there will be some turnout.

Beer Trader

I hope this momentum doesn't die. Hopefully we can find some time that we are all free and the BSP isn't that busy if we use that as our venue. I like the idea of Saturday late morning from Hoptrollop. A Sunday afternoon might also work for a lot of us for a lot of us 9-5ers.

I'm just seeing this thread for the first time, but just coming back from a week in Portland, I'm fired up to put some effort in this. The scene there is incredible. I'm a freelance person so sometimes, I have a lot of time I could devote. Lee, i'm in the pub a few days a week, I'll try to grab you next time I see you and get an update. Did the first meeting occur?

I'm just seeing this thread for the first time, but just coming back from a week in Portland, I'm fired up to put some effort in this. The scene there is incredible. I'm a freelance person so sometimes, I have a lot of time I could devote. Lee, i'm in the pub a few days a week, I'll try to grab you next time I see you and get an update. Did the first meeting occur?

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To my knowledge there has not been a meeting yet.

Would enough people be at an upcoming beer fest to meet up? What about the Decatur Passport Pub Crawl? There will be multiple groups and one could be a "GWCB" where names and contact info could be gotten and ideas thrown out as the beer flows.

SubscriberBeer Trader

I'm down near Valdosta and would love to have a part in this. I realize my location isn't the most effective but I have a great desire to start a brewpub down here. Colorado spoiled me when it came to taking a half-gallon of my favorite ale home after dinner at a brewery.

Let's do this thing! Interested in helping out the effort. Let me rephrase that, I'm broke like the rest of you, over worked like the rest of you, and I love beer like the rest of you. Oh, and I'm in GA. I'm willing to give of my limited time and money. That should turn a head or two.

Beer Trader

I think a lot of people would like to discuss it. However, I think that trying to get all the interested parties together to attempt to discuss it is likely never going to happen. If we did, it would likely become more talking about the beers we were drinking than the possible issues we want changed. Maybe an online message board specifically for the purpose would help allow everyone to get in on the conversation. The local beer people are too splintered between this forum, the RB forum, beer-talk, facebook, etc...

Beer Trader

As an outsider looking in, I would propose a different list of priorities for you. First of all, far and away the most significant thing you could hope for is unlimited, on site taproom sales for production breweries. This is the single most important factor for the many new breweries that have opened up down here in Florida in the last few years. A new brewery can start to be viable making just a few hundred barrels a year when it has a busy taproom, but without one you really need to be making 2-3k bbl per year to make ends meet. This difference is crucial because it means that a taproom drastically lowers the investment needed to open a viable brewery.

Raising the alcohol cap would be nice, but it isn't going to get you any new breweries and really not that many new beer.

Self distribution is pretty much a pipe dream. This is what the distributors will push back hardest against, and realistically most breweries, even in states where this is allowed, end up using a distributor sooner rather than later because self distribution demands a lot of resources if you a doing much more than selling to the bar across the street from you brewery.

Growlers are nice, but again, they are almost meaningless compared to the impact you would see from breweries being able to sell a pint in their taproom.

I think a well-organized person or group of persons with time and dedication could make a compelling arugment about the financial and political benefits to liberalizing the state's beer laws.

Look at North Carolina -- Asheville in particular. They've got no less than three major breweries from the west coast that are opening up multi-million dollar facilities as part of their east coast presence. Asheville got that business because they've got a thriving craft beer scene, largely due to their liberal beer laws -- self-distribution, on premises sales, etc.

Georgia's antiquated beer laws are literally costing the state money and job opportunities.

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Well, NC got these major craft brewers also because of the local recreational opportunities (especially in the case of Oskar blues) and the excellent water supply. In any case, I'm completely on board with helping to change GA law.

Beer Trader

the most significant thing you could hope for is unlimited, on site taproom sales for production breweries.

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I bet you a beer the middle men try to baby seal club that as hard/if not harder than self distribution. As you mentioned, the costs are going to limit who can attempt that, so naturally the best target is one that lets all the producers sell some that doesn't pass through their grubby fingers.

As of right now the GADA, Total Wine, and a few grocery stores are fighting to get in store tasting to pass this year. If this happens growler stores and liquor stores combined will be able to have samples inside the store during operating hours.
Just a bit of an update on new stuff.

As an outsider looking in, I would propose a different list of priorities for you. First of all, far and away the most significant thing you could hope for is unlimited, on site taproom sales for production breweries. This is the single most important factor for the many new breweries that have opened up down here in Florida in the last few years. A new brewery can start to be viable making just a few hundred barrels a year when it has a busy taproom, but without one you really need to be making 2-3k bbl per year to make ends meet. This difference is crucial because it means that a taproom drastically lowers the investment needed to open a viable brewery.

Raising the alcohol cap would be nice, but it isn't going to get you any new breweries and really not that many new beer.

Self distribution is pretty much a pipe dream. This is what the distributors will push back hardest against, and realistically most breweries, even in states where this is allowed, end up using a distributor sooner rather than later because self distribution demands a lot of resources if you a doing much more than selling to the bar across the street from you brewery.

Growlers are nice, but again, they are almost meaningless compared to the impact you would see from breweries being able to sell a pint in their taproom.

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I agree with this. Unlimited on site taproom sales is locked gate that needs to be opened. If I'm running a brewery , I'm not going to consider GA, if I can go to another state that allows this.

So ... First, I would love to do anything I can to help with this effort.

Second,
Not sure if it is okay to "advertise" this on this forum or not but I am working on a project that might be able to help in some way. I have been working on building up atlantabeergeek.com mainly for a weekly podcast that I am launching in February, interviewing local beer industry folk, but also in hopes to better unite the local beer community. I am putting final touches on the forum this week and will release it for public sign up on Thursday, the 17th. I will send a tweet out about it @AtlantaBeerGeek when it's available. You can go check out the site now but it isn't much yet. I will get it more in working order this week.

i recently heard the GA craft brewers guild was pushing for limited on site sales. I was told 228oz per person, per day is what they're proposing for the new law with relatively good traction. Anyone heard more information on this or know how we can support?

i recently heard the GA craft brewers guild was pushing for limited on site sales. I was told 228oz per person, per day is what they're proposing for the new law with relatively good traction. Anyone heard more information on this or know how we can support?

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What do you mean "on site sales"? At breweries or at bars? You can't buy beer at the breweries here if that's what you mean.

on site sales at the brewery. i live in ga and realize that breweries can't sell on premise, hence the new law proposal. I was told it'd be for off premise consumption only with no change to current on premise regulations.

on site sales at the brewery. i live in ga and realize that breweries can't sell on premise, hence the new law proposal. I was told it'd be for off premise consumption only with no change to current on premise regulations.

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Sorry I misread that. I thought you were saying they were going to start limiting what you able to buy not that they were fighting to start allowing. I hope that's true and it passes.

No worries, I wrote it half heartedly and could have worded it better.

It most certainly would be a great beginning that could really spark a new wave of business practices and opportunities for large and small breweries alike. I'm hoping to learn more and find out the validity of this proposal so I can figure out how I can help. Anyone else heard anything else about it?